# Talarico and Hinojosa win Texas Senate and governor races

> Democrats flip Texas Senate and governor races despite Elon Musk's $474 million spending.
- Title: Talarico and Hinojosa win Texas Senate and governor races
- Summary: Democrats flip Texas Senate and governor races despite Elon Musk's $474 million spending.
- Keywords: texas, democrats, senate, governor, elon musk, james talarico, gina hinojosa, ken paxton, greg abbott, midterm elections, 2026 elections, Salon
- Source: Salon — https://salon.com/2026/11/03/talarico-hinojosa-win-big-in-texas-despite-elon-musks-millions
- Author: Troy Farah
- Published: 2026-11-04T04:21:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: texas, democrats, senate, governor, elon musk, james talarico, gina hinojosa, ken paxton, greg abbott, midterm elections, 2026 elections, news
## Texas Democrats win Senate and governor races
James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race with over a million votes.
## Democrats win Texas governor race
Gina Hinojosa beat Republican Governor Greg Abbott by more than 700,000 votes in the governor's race.
## Elon Musk's $474 million spending
Elon Musk spent an estimated $474 million supporting Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Senate race.
## Musk's campaign spending breakdown
Musk's $474 million went to the Senate Leadership Fund and pro-Paxton PACs, with $168 million to the Senate Leadership Fund.
## Talarico's campaign strategy
Talarico focused on affordability and fighting corruption while challenging the idea that only Republicans are devout Christians.
## Democrats lead Senate races nationwide
Democrats flipped Senate seats in South Carolina and North Carolina and lead races in Iowa, Maine, and Ohio.
## Key takeaway

James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa won Texas Senate and governor races with over a million votes each, defying Elon Musk's $474 million campaign spending.